Fitchburg Wellness Initiative
Thanks to MassDevelopment and InTown Fitchburg, since receiving the Dream it, Create it grant in May of 2023 the Fitchburg Wellness Initiative has been doing free pop-up Yoga classes throughout Fitchburg. Through developing relationships with wonderful community partners, the Fitchburg Wellness Initiative has offered over 20 Yoga classes and has served over 100 residents.
The goal of the Fitchburg Wellness Initiative is to offer free, accessible Yoga classes to the residents of Fitchburg, while connecting with each other in community. We are excited to keep this project going and continue to cultivate and grow a healthy community.
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In 2024 these classes are sponsored by the Fitchburg Cultural Council.
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Community Partners
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Why Yoga?
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There’s evidence that yoga may be helpful for anxiety associated with various life situations, such as medical conditions or stressful educational programs, and for depressive symptoms.
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Research suggests that yoga may:
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Help improve general wellness by relieving stress, supporting good health habits, and improving mental/emotional health, sleep, and balance.
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Relieve low-back pain and neck pain, and possibly pain from tension-type headaches and knee osteoarthritis.
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Help people who are overweight or obese lose weight.
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Help people quit smoking.
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Help people manage anxiety or depressive symptoms associated with difficult life situations.
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Relieve menopause symptoms.
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Help people with chronic diseases manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life.
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Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Service, U.S. Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
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The Teachers
Ellen Daoust
I first started practicing Yoga in 2014 after losing a close family relation. I have found that Yoga offers a tool kit and different tools are needed and best utilized depending on where you find yourself. My goal as a teacher is to offer students an accessible way to get in tune with their breath through gentle movements that build strength, mobility, and flexibility.
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Born and raised in Fitchburg, and coming back almost a decade later with my own family, it's exciting to contribute to the positive shifts happening in Fitchburg by offering accessible, community-based Yoga classes.
Ashely Valeri
My name is Ashley, I’ve been practicing yoga for over 15 years and teaching for almost ten. I truly believe yoga is for everyone and anyone. I began my practice of yoga after being in a bad car accident and needing to recover physically and emotionally, and yoga was the thing that did that. I think it’s important for people to know that yoga is more about the fact that they’ve made the choice to show up on their mat, for themselves, than it is about whether they can easily touch their toes or do a downward facing dog. My hope with these classes is to welcome any one and everyone wanting to challenge themselves, and give themselves the time and space to maybe try something new and leave feeling balanced, strong, and just plain good!
Freddy Bernard
I've been Schooled in Eclectic Rajah Hatha Yoga @ Frog Pond Yoga Center in Princeton MA and Warrior Yoga International. I specialize in physical, emotional trauma, P. T. S. D. by practicing yoga with Mindfulness, Meditation, and Breath work (or Prana Yama) for 30 yr's.
I've owned 3 studios and taught at quite a few more. Since l started these practices l've maintained a 70lb. Weight loss, got off B.P. Meds, Cholesterol meds and many psych meds. I just was blessed with a Medallion celebrating 37 years of sobriety, dealt with the debilitating effects of lyme disease and a heart attack. All this did not happen on its own. I first had to have the gift of Desperation and just maybe, maybe there was something out there that could and would save my ass if it was sought. I had to surrender and trust in someone or something. A Source greater than myself. Call it God, Universe, Yoga, 12 Step Program or counseling. All l can say is, "It Works if you Work it - Your Worth it - So Work It". Yogi Freddy B. Pho. # 978 846 6007